Too High a Price
by Angelo'sG-Ma
Summary: aftermath of Loyalty pt 2. Alex's dad decides to lend a hand


Don't own: If I did well they would still be on the show. Nichols is OK but I want my Goren and Eames

* * *

Alex drove straight over to parents house. The minute she walked into the den, Johnny could tell something had upset his baby girl. He got up and went to her wrapping her in his arms. "What is it honey?"

"Oh Daddy" She cried. "It was awful." He stood there and held her until the worst of her crying was over, then he led her over to the couch and sat down with her so that she could lean on him.

"I know it's hard honey to loose your captain like that."

"It's not that Daddy, I mean that's part of it, but not the worst."

"What could be worse?" He wondered and then asked.

"I was called into the Chief of D's office this morning and was basically handed Command of MCS pending passing the Captains exam."

"But that's great Alex. You're finally getting the recognition you deserve."

"Dad," She cried. "The first thing I was told to due in my new position was to fire Bobby"

"OH" Johnny sighed. Now he understood why she was so upset. For any cop to be put in that position was unheard of in his day. He knew that she would see it as a betrayal. She had been a mess after the Garret case when they made her testify about the letter that she had written early on asking for a new partner. Johnny would like to get his hands around Chief Moran's neck, but that wouldn't help his little girl. "So what did you do?" As if he had to guess. If she had told Moran to stick it, she wouldn't be here now.

"The only thing I could do. If I didn't then they would have dragged him in front of a hearing board and... and.."

"You fired him."

"Yeah," She wiped at the tears that wouldn't stop. "He tried to make it easier for my by making light of the situation, but that just made the whole thing worse."

"Alex" He thought he knew what was coming next and was almost afraid to ask but, "What did you do after Bobby left?"

"I called the Chief and quit."

"That's what I thought. Does Bobby know you quit?"

"No! He'll just feel guilty and he doesn't need that right now."

"Does he know that you're in love with him?"

Alex pushed away from her father. "What? Where did you get that idea?"

"I have known for years honey. I just didn't say anything."

She laughed a little and then said. "I thought I had done a good job of hiding it. If he does know then he never said anything. Which would mean that he doesn't feel the same so it doesn't really matter anyways"

* * *

He sat with her until she fell asleep and then slipped out of the house after a short talk with his wife. An hour later he was knocking on Bobby's door. Bobby was surprised when he opened the door. He half expected it to be Alex. "Mr Eames, come on in. Is something wrong with Alex?"

Johnny walked into the kitchen and leaned on the counter. "I told you before son to call me Johnny. So how are you?"

"Considering that I lost my partner, my captain and my job all in the same week, I guess the answer should be obvious." Bobby still didn't know what Eames' father was doing here and he was getting more concerned. "Johnny, is Alex OK."

"It's telling don't you think, that when listing the things you've lost this week, that you put my daughter first."

"It may not have always looked like it but she has always come first. Dammit answer my question! Is Alex OK?"

Johnny studied him for a few moments and came to the conclusion that Bobby did feel the same way as his baby girl. "No... Alex is not OK. She just cried herself to sleep on my couch."

"Why, what happened?"

"Well, it could be that she lost her partner, her captain and her job all in the same week." He said turning Bobby's words back on him.

"Wait...what?

"Actually it might be more accurate to say that she thinks she betrayed her partner."  
"**BETRAYED ME?** Where did she get an idea like that?"

"She fired you." Johnny said simply.

Bobby's head was reeling with what her dad was telling him, then another part of what he had said jumped to the forefront of his brain. "Wait a minute, her job? What did they do wait for her to do their dirty work and then fire her too? That's bullshit." Bobby grabbed his coat and headed for the door in an obvious rage. Moran was not going to get away with this, but Johnny's next words stopped him in his tracks.

"She quit"

Bobby leaned against the wall and put his head down. "Because of me?"

"Yes, although she won't thank me for telling you that." Next thing Johnny knew, Bobby had slid to the floor and tears were running down his cheeks. He went over and knelt down next to him and said. "You know for the two smartest Detectives the NYPD has ever seen, both you and Alex are pretty stupid."

Bobby wiped at his tears before responding. "Say what you want about me but don't call her stupid."

Johnny thought just a little more of a push should do it. "She is my daughter, if I want to call her stupid I can."

"Nobody calls the woman....Just nobody calls her stupid."

"The woman what, Bobby? The woman you love? See, stupid. You're here crying on your kitchen floor and she's on my couch."

"Are you saying that she loves me?"

"Nope, I've already said too much. That's for her to say."

"I need to see her."

Johnny stood up and offered his hand to help Bobby up off the floor. "Come on, I'll drive you. I doubt you're in any condition to do so yourself.

* * *

When they arrived back at the Eames house Alex's mother met them at the door. "How are you Bobby?"

"I've been better Mrs. Eames."

"Is she still in the den?" Johnny asked.

"Yes, she hasn't moved but I have heard crying off and on."

Johnny pointed Bobby in the direction of the den and then led his wife off to bed to give Bobby and Alex some privacy.

Bobby stepped into the den and saw Alex curled up on the couch. He walked over and knelt down next to her and stroked her hair before whispering her name. "Alex"

She opened her eyes and thought she was dreaming. "Oh Bobby, I'm so sorry. I wish you were really here." She reached out thinking he would disappear like smoke when she tried to touch him, but when her fingertips touched his lips, she jerked her hand back. "Wait you really are here. Why are you here? How did you know I was here?"

"Johnny"

"My dad?"

"Yeah, he came to see me tonight."

"I'll kill him"

"No you won't. He was worried about you. So am I"

She didn't know what all her dad had said to him so she just nodded. Bobby knew there were a lot of things that they needed to talk about but the first thing that came out was "Why did you quit?"  
"How can you ask me that?" Did he really think she could take the job on those terms.

"Alex, it was going to happen whether it was you or a hearing or Moran himself. You deserve the promotion."

"No Bobby, the price was too high. They asked too much."

"Why Alex?" He was pretty sure he knew her answer, but he wanted to hear, no he needed to hear it.

"Oh Bobby," she said softly as she reached out to touch his lips again. They were warm and soft. When she looked into his eyes, what she saw there gave her the courage she needed. "Because they asked my to betray the man I love."

For the second time that day, Bobby reached out and pulled her into a hug. This time it was comforting instead of bittersweet. When he pulled back he cupped her face with his hands and said. "First of all I love you, secondly you did not betray me."

"It felt like I did."

"I know, but you didn't. I'm sorry you were put in that position."

"So what do we do now that we are both unemployed?"

Bobby smiled and took the final leap. "Get married?"

To say Alex was surprised would be an understatement. "Married?"

"To fast? How about dinner then?" Bobby would take what he could get and work with it.

Instead Alex smiled and wrapped her arms back around his neck. "Married works for me"

He grinned and leaned in for their first real kiss.

END

A/N: Hope you enjoyed. If you did, I would love to hear about it. If you didn't well I want to hear that as well. I just ask that you be kind about it


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